Our invention relates to an improved grill for audio loudspeakers and the like, and particularly to an improved grill that can be made of metal to provide good protection for the loudspeaker, to provide good acoustic qualities for the loudspeaker, and to provide a good heat sink for electronic equipment.
Many radio and electronic products are housed in cabinets or containers made of molded plastic. Molded plastic is used because it can have intricate shapes, is relatively strong, and is capable of being mass produced. For these and other reasons, radio and electronic equipment having or using a loudspeaker has been housed in a cabinet having a molded plastic grill. Such molded plastic grills provide good protection for the loudspeakers in that they prevent objects from being pushed into the relatively fragile cone or diaphram of the loudspeaker. Such grills also have good acoustic properties because they can be constructed in accordance with good acoustic designs.
In some applications, however, molded plastic is not satisfactory because of its poor heat transfer properties. For example, radio transceiver equipment having relatively high power electronic circuits produce a relatively large quantity of heat that cannot be removed by the plastic. Hence, the heat must be removed through a metallic heat sink arrangement that insures that the radio transceiver operates within the proper temperature limits. A metallic loudspeaker grill can form part of such a heat sink and provide good heat conduction and radiation properties because of its surface configuration and air flow properties, if the heat generating parts or components are mounted on or in metallic connection with the grill. However, the grill should protect the loudspeaker and have good acoustic qualities.
Accordingly, a primary object of our invention is to provide a new and improved metallic loudspeaker grill.
Another object of our invention is to provide a new and improved metallic loudspeaker grill that has good acoustic and protective qualities.
Another object of our invention is to provide a new and improved metallic loudspeaker grill that removes heat, that is relatively simple, and that can be mass produced.
Another and relatively specific object of our invention is to provide a new and improved metallic grill that has good heat removal properties, that has good acoustic qualities, and that provides good protection for the loudspeaker.